Abuse survivor Nathan Ross said that hearing about the boy's experience made him angry.

"It brings back the memories of what happened for me (and) what happened to my siblings," Ross said.

In 1999, he was found locked in the basement of his Kansas City home, a victim of beatings and starvation. Two of his three younger brothers didn't survive the experience.

Ross said news of the handcuffed 17-year-old flashed back to his own nightmares.

"I can imagine. I can absolutely imagine what would have been going on in that basement for that kid that whole time," Ross said.

He said it's even more troubling in light of another case from last summer, when a girl was found starving and locked in a closet at a Kansas City apartment. He said he's sure there are more cases out there that are just as horrible.

"I think it's very naive (to think) that this story and the girl from the summer are the only two that have happened in the last 13 years," he said.

He said the public is learning more about the cases because more people are coming forward when they suspect child abuse.

He said the boy in the latest case can recover, but it will take time and care.

"It's going to take a support team constantly being in his life for him to get to a place where he can say, 'Yes, this happened, but I'm better. My life can still be good. I can still make something of it," Ross said.